// CHANEL //
While we're on the topic of Chanel let's delve into the wonder that was the Spring 2014 show.
Uncle Karl taught us a few key things about next season. First, don't leave the house unless you've got at least two bags on. You can opt for a backpack (attach multiple carabiners and ropes) paired with a mini cross-body for your phone. Or, grab two little quilted numbers firmly by your hand for a multicoloured look. Wrap a barely-there belt around the outside of your jacket. Continue to show off your midriff (start on the crunches now) and layer on lots of chunky plastic bangles. Wear a pair of ribbed socks with your heels. Rock a slew of rainbow colours in one look. Pair your lace with your tweed. And, most importantly, tie your jumper around your waist back-to-front - a literal twist on the iconic '90s look.
// DRIES VAN NOTEN //
Forget about pretty pastel florals for spring 2014 because Dries Van Noten has singlehandedly turned the popular print on its head. His version are dark and moody, set against a grey or black background they are rich and opulent in nature. These look much more inviting to me than any ditsy Liberty print ever has.
Van Noten's collection was a mishmash of cultures. There were Asian inspired prints next to rich embroidered tapestries that looked as though they came straight from a Middle Eastern cavern. Rich shiny gold was paired with plain calico and linen. It was as if a peasant child had accidentally stumbled upon the trunk of a rich traveling sheik and was playing dress up.
I loved that plain white t-shirts and marl grey sweatshirts were included in the otherwise rich collection. Favourite pieces include the black silk bomber covered in large dark tulips and the sleeveless top with shells lining the neck.
Remembering my first fashion show
I remember the first fashion show I ever went to. It wasn’t good. In fact, it was terrible. It was in the main British Fashion Council tent, I stood at the back on my tip-toes straining to see. But I was so excited to be there and by the end of it I was fighting back tears. Despite the fact that it was horrible, I thought the whole thing was absolutely beautiful. That hectic rush before the lights are dimmed. The plastic being peeling from the catwalk. The general hushing noise of people trying to get quiet. That moment when the music starts and everyone anxiously awaits the first look.
Going to a fashion show is an experience. If you’re willing, it will move you, change you.
That night, it didn’t matter what the clothes looked like. I was being introduced to a world that would suck me in. Over the past few years my zeal has ebbed and flowed. It started with sheer enthusiasm. After each show, when asked what I thought, I’d gush that I loved it. But I was never quite sure what I loved or why. Did I want to wear the clothes? Would they look good in an editorial? Would the clothes sell well in a boutique? Were they changing the direction of fashion? Pushing the boundaries? Revolutionizing the industry? I didn’t know.
All I knew was that I felt something, experienced something.
You can appreciate a show for different reasons. There’s the art, the craft, the details, the structure. There’s the development of a designer, the way their collections change over time, the way they relate to their customer, the relevance of their brand. There’s the editorial side, the trends, the influence, the sales.
There isn’t just one way to decide when a designer has been successful.
Regardless of that, there’s one thing I know and that’s when I like something – I mean really like something. It’s not because I’m an editor looking to put together a high fashion shoot for a magazine. I don’t own a boutique, I’m not a buyer. I’m not a writer covering the shows for any major publication. I’m really just a girl with a somewhat sick fascination with fashion, observing it from the outside. I’m wondering what to wear and how to wear it. For this reason – the J JS Lee Spring 2014 show really spoke to me.
It blew my mind a little and it’s not because it’s anything revolutionary. Quite the contrary, it’ssimple and uncomplicated. It looks good. It’s wearable. Oh baby, is it wearable. The trousers are the perfect shape (slight kick at the bottom) and hit at just the right spot on the leg. The colours are (wait for it…) a mix of black and white (yeah! yeah! yeah!), slightly faded aqua blue and pale pink. THAT pink. I know, okay, I know. It’s EVERYWHERE. I’m actually kind of sick of it already but somehow Jackie’s version doesn’t piss me off. Maybe because, let’s face it, pale pink isn’t the most practical colour fora cocoon coat. It makes much more sense in separates and a little basic dress. The geometric print, the contrasting collar on that white shirt, the curved hem, the sleeve that hits just above the elbow – it’s these little details that make the collection so strong. They aren’t in your face. They don’t scream ‘look at me!’ They’re just there. It’s their subtlety that lends them strength. Plus, these pieces are classic. They’re staples. Yet despite that, they aren’t boring and they feel totally fresh. That, ladies and gentleman, is what fashion is all about. I can honestly say, I love it.
p.s. I want every pair of sandals… in every colour.
Photos via Vogue.
Backstage at Lucas Nascimento
When I arrived backstage at the Topshop venue for the Lucas Nascimento show I was absolutely soaking wet. Such was this past London Fashion Week, it rained every day. Coincidental then that the theme for Lucas's show should be 'getting ready'. This translated into the hair and makeup in an obvious way. The models were to look as though they had just stepped out of the shower - wet hair, bare faced, lashes clumped together from the water.
When I arrived backstage at the Topshop venue for the Lucas Nascimento show I was absolutely soaking wet. Such was this past London Fashion Week, it rained every day. Coincidental then that the theme for Lucas's show should be 'getting ready'. This translated into the hair and makeup in an obvious way. The models were to look as though they had just stepped out of the shower - wet hair, bare faced, lashes clumped together from the water.
No doubt I resembled this same sight upon my arrival - only a less glamorous version.
Unfortunately the ghd team had already finished the hair by the time I arrived (bloody efficient they are) but I did get to see the finishing touches being done to the makeup by the people at MAC. There is nothing quite so glamorous as wedging yourself in between a wall of makeup artists and squeezing your camera in between them to get the perfect shot. Luckily I didn't knock anyone's hand.
